Heron’s Fountain

Heron's fountain is a hydraulic machine invented by the 1st century AD inventor, mathematician and physicist Heron of Alexandria. It operates using a simple system of three containers connected by pipes, as demonstrated in the model. The bottom container (air supply) contains only air, and the middle container (water supply) contains only water. When water is poured into the top container, gravity causes the water to flow down into the air supply container. As the water enters the air supply container, it compresses the air, forcing it into the water supply container (middle container). This increase in air pressure in the middle container pushes the water up through a pipe, creating a fountain that sprays out from the top container into a basin. The water that lands in the basin can then drain back into the air supply container, allowing the cycle to continue temporarily. The flow will stop when the water supply container (middle container) is empty, as no more water is available to be pushed up by the air pressure.